


A Change of Heart

by Stacysmash



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Future, Android AU, Far Future, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Kurodai is secondary, Light Angst, M/M, Slow Burn, because I’m a rare pair shipping slut, possibly more ships to come
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-06-27
Packaged: 2019-05-21 03:20:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14907332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stacysmash/pseuds/Stacysmash
Summary: In the year 2068, Tsukishima Kei lives alone in his apartment since his brother was transferred overseas. He swears he doesn't mind the solitude as he works on his thesis he needs to graduate, never one to revel in unneeded human interaction. But when he receives a call from his brother's workplace, Android Enterprises, that he has a package ordered by his brother, a man-made entity forces its way into his life like a tidal wave, an entity in the shape of a young man with wild orange hair, and the warmth of the sun in his smile.





	1. Chapter 1

Tsukishima Kei removed his glasses and laid them on his stack of textbooks in front of him. He let out a long sigh as he rubbed the back of his eyelids gently to bring some relief to his undoubtedly bloodshot eyes. When he opened them and replaced his glasses on his face, he craned his neck around to give his stiff muscles a crack and noticed a sliver of pale light leaking through the edges of his blackout blinds that didn’t quite cover the window entirely.

_Well, so much for getting some sleep._

He knew he should be taking better care of himself, but with his brother gone and no one else to bug him about his health, he’d been getting carried away. And since he was set to graduate at the top of his class of 2069 in a year, he didn’t consider it a bad thing. If he rested and thought about Akiteru’s absence or the lack of his best friend, Yamaguchi, who stayed behind in their hometown to work, the weight of loneliness would suffocate him, and Tsukishima was never one to dwell on such a disgustingly sentimental feeling. He shoved it away, buried it, blasted it into smithereens by forcing his brain to focus on everything else going on in his life and the world around him.

The screen flashed in front of him that he had an incoming call, and he glared at it, wondering who had the nerve to call him so early. The contact was AE, Android Enterprises, which was the company that Akiteru worked for, before they transferred him to their overseas branch. With a quick glance behind him at the state of his room, he deemed it acceptable enough for whoever was calling from his brother’s workplace.

“Answer,” He spoke out loud, and immediately a young, pretty woman in business attire appeared on his screen.

“Tsukishima-san, good morning!” She chirped, and Tsukishima winced at her cheerful demeanor. “I hope everything is going well since your elder brother’s transfer?”

“It’s fine, what do you want?”

She giggled as if he wasn’t being blatantly rude. “We have your brother’s order here, ready for pick-up. His instructions were for you to receive it and keep it safe until he returns in six months for his debriefing.”

“What is it?” He asked, leery about what sort of thing Akiteru would order from his workplace. Akiteru was an analyst for their computer systems, an integral part of a company that relied on the tech to make their creations run smooth as silk. The last several times he brought items from work home there were mazes of wiring snaking through the entire apartment that inevitably tripped him every time he left the safety of his room. Without Akiteru there to sort it out he was sure whatever he was supposed to pick up could potentially murder him.

“I’m afraid I do not know the nature of the product. Once you come in and sign the paperwork, our techs will walk you through the process. How does 8 AM sound?”

Tsukishima’s eyes flickered to the clock and scrunched up his nose. “Can we do 8:30? It’ll take me that long at least with how backed up the trains will be.”

“Of course! You will receive the code for your appointment in your mail as soon as we hang up, along with the which floor and room you are to report to. We’ll see you then, Tsukishima-san!”

The girl disappeared from his screen, and once again he was left staring at his thesis.

“Save… sleep,” He muttered and stood up from his chair as his screen went dark. He stretched his long limbs as he lumbered down the hall to the bathroom to get ready to leave. In just ten minutes he was dressed and walking out of his apartment, a meal bar in his hand to satisfy all his dietary needs. When Akiteru lived with him, it was like life or death to his brother to feed him a real breakfast. But he was never a big eater, and nutritional drinks and meal bars were good enough to keep him from collapsing.

As he weaved his way through the crowds, he felt a shiver down his back. He had the distinct feeling he was being followed, and he paused at a shop window to cast a subtle glance back the way he came. He widened his eyes as a recycling receptacle rolled to a stop next to him. Tsukishima glanced down at his hand where his meal bar remained half-eaten and realized the bin had sensed he would soon have some trash to dispose of. He clicked his tongue in irritation and shoved the rest of the bar in his mouth, crumpling the wrapper and holding it out. The bin wiggled in excitement and opened a slot for him to toss it in.

“Thank you for recycling. The Earth thanks you for doing your part.”

“The Earth thanks me?” Tsukishima asked with a sneer. “Tell it that I don’t give a shit.”

“I am not actually in direct contact with Earth. I will attempt to relay your message,” The bin said and rolled away to chase after another pedestrian.

Tsukishima wasn’t sure if he wanted to be annoyed or amused. A part of him wanted to tell every trash bin to relay a message to Earth so the poor idiots who work in customer service at the recycling plant would have to deal with his snarky remarks. But he was also tired of every company making non-sentient items talk to him, as if dealing with humans wasn’t enough.

Despite what he had told the girl, the newly renovated train systems were smooth and quick, nearly eliminating any back-up during rush hour despite the massive population. He mainly told her that so he’d have time to stop by a shop and get the largest coffee he could order. It wasn’t that Tsukishima completely abhorred all the blossoming technology, far from it. The fact that he could get a black coffee without any sugar or dairy added and yet still have it taste like strawberry shortcake was the best use of technological advancement he had ever experienced.

As he finally entered AE headquarters, he blandly rattled off his name and showed some ID with his appointment code. A part of him hoped it wasn’t enough to enter and he would be sent home with a perfect excuse to Akiteru on why he didn’t pick up his item. Unfortunately, the guard gave him a polite smile and nod, admitting him into the building.

It was only as he walked into the lobby that he sensed something slightly off about the guard. He looked behind him and saw an identification code tattooed on the back of the guard’s neck. It gave Tsukishima the willies that he could hardly tell the difference between androids and humans anymore, and visions of synthetic rebellions and post-apocalyptic war filled his mind.

Tsukishima rolled his eyes at his own video game infused imagination and crossed the lobby to the elevators. The building itself was a work of art, a perfect blend of functionality and soothing aesthetic that Tsukishima wouldn’t have minded working there himself. Of course, considering his thesis was based on new technologies that could potentially offer new insight from fossils that date back all the way to the Triassic Era, he doubted AE would have any use for him as an employee.

He felt fortunate to have an elevator all to himself as it sailed up the flights to the 12th floor with a smoothness that felt like he was hardly moving at all. As he stepped off and glanced at the directory, he frowned when he saw the entire floor was dedicated entirely to the design and completion of androids. He was starting to get a sickening feeling about what he was picking up for Akiteru.

When he found the room number he was assigned, he gave a tentative knock without glancing at the two names printed on the faceplate by the door.

“Come in!” A voice called from within, and the door retracted to reveal a simple workspace with two desks on opposite walls with two techs sitting at each. The tall tech on the right spun in his chair and greeted him with an irritating grin and his long arms spread wide.

“Welcome Baby Tsukishima! How are you doing without Akiteru-san around to mother you all the time?”

“It’s just Tsukishima, and I’m doing fine. Who are you?”

The tech chuckled and slipped his hand through his disheveled black hair. “Man, you’re as cold as he said you’d be. I’m Kuroo Tetsurou, and this is Kozume Kenma,” He said as he gestured his head to the tech at the other desk who finally turned in his chair and gave Tsukishima a light nod. Without even saying anything, the tech with the grown-out blonde hair was the one Tsukishima was hoping he’d have to deal with more, but somehow he doubted he’d be so fortunate.

“Anyways! I’m sure you’re wondering what it is you’re picking up. As you’ve probably guessed, Akiteru had us design an android for him, but then he was whisked off to Germany and we need someone to take him in.”

Tsukishima groaned as he rested his face in his palm. “Why would he spend so much money on an android? Did he give you a reason?”

“Hmm? Well, every android is classified with a purpose and then given quite a range of specifications. Akiteru spent a long time with us on what he wanted from him, which was to be a companion android.”

Tsukishima lifted his head up with a jerk. “Nii-san built a sex robot?!”

Kuroo gripped his stomach as he let out an obnoxious cackle, and even the stoic Kenma gave him a smirk.

“What the hell? We said companion, not sex doll. Well, we can make those too, but that’s not the point. A companion android’s functionality at the very basic level is simply to provide a social service, rather than say a bomb-diffusing android that would be nimbler and tech savvy. They’re great for elderly people who are living alone or are handicapped and need assistance. They’re even programmed to respond to certain situations that may be difficult for a human to handle emotionally. Akiteru’s companion, however, is much less advanced.”

“That’s rude, Kuro.”

“It’s true, but it did save him some money on programming. All he required really was a detailed personality that would seem realistically human and the ability to cook and clean.”

“What about physically?” Tsukishima asked, picturing Akiteru’s last girlfriend who broke his heart, and wondered if he had requested something similar.

“He gave us full reign in that department, which was a lot of fun because it allowed us to be creative. Kenma, by the way, was in charge of the internal programming. So, knowledge, personality and emotions were built by him. All his physical aspects and dimensions were created by me. We’re one of the best teams when it comes to creating companion androids, so I’m sure you’ll enjoy him until Akiteru comes back to pick him up.”

Before Tsukishima could ask another question, Kuroo leaned over to his computer screen and pressed a little box in the corner.

“Daichi? Can you come in here a minute?”

There was no answer, but a second later another door opened that led to an adjacent room. A man walked through wearing workout attire with the AE logo embroidered on the shirt that hugged his muscular figure tightly. Other than that, the man was on the plain side of good looking but offered Tsukishima an honest smile as his brown eyes rested on him.

“You must be Tsukishima Kei. I’m Daichi,” He explained as he held his hand out. Tsukishima took it and immediately noticed the strength in the other man’s grip.

“Nice to meet you?”

Daichi’s smile shifted more to the right, looking a bit more amused as he studied Tsukishima. It took a little more observance on Tsukishima’s part to realize the man in front of him wasn’t human.

“Oh, you’re an android.”

“Pretty good, isn’t he?” Kuroo mused from his seat, his body stretched out lazily as his eyes lingered on Daichi’s back.

“You’re the one Nii-san ordered?”

“Oh no, no, no… he’s mine,” Kuroo said, his sly grin stretching wider. Daichi’s smile, however, slipped off his face as he rolled his eyes.

“I’m not _his_.”

Behind him Kuroo nodded slowly to negate Daichi’s statement, and Kenma gave a loud sigh.

“Daichi was experimental as a companion and highly successful. He was subtly created for Kuro since he’s very helpful and knowledgeable as an assistant, but also he’s level-headed, stubborn and yet easy to rile up. It’s the perfect combination to keep Kuro occupied so he stays out of my hair.”

“Kenma!”

“It’s true.”

“I’d like to think I’m worth more to these two than being a simple distraction to Kuroo. I help them assimilate their new creations and prepare them for release. Speaking of which, I’m sure you’re anxious to meet SG.”

“SG?”

“Yeah, go ahead and _fetch_ him, would you Daichi?” Kuroo asked as he fluttered his eyes, and though Daichi’s face darkened dangerously from the jab, he gave a curt nod and left the room. Kuroo snickered and glanced back at Kenma.

“You really did a good job on him. He’s so much fun to tease!”

“And I feel bad for subjecting him to it.”

“Nah, I think he enjoys it on some level… a deep, deep part of him. The problem is he’s so distracting I can hardly get any work done.”

“That was your fault for designing his body like that.”

“I regret nothing,” Kuroo chuckled as he stood up from his chair and stretched toward the ceiling. “So, Tsukki, like we were saying, SG-621 is your android’s identification number. He also answers to Chibi-chan.”

“Or you could call him Shoyou, since he should be referred to by his human name.”

“Chibi-chan isn’t human enough for him?”

“So, I’m assuming he’s short?” Tsukishima asked, wondering what worth a short companion droid would have to him.

“Yup. But first, go ahead and sit,” Kuroo said as he patted his chair. “Up on the screen are a few documents you need to read through and sign before we hand him over.”

“What for?” Tsukishima asked as he sat down and began reading.

“Oh, waivers, legal documentation that we handed him over directly to you and you’re accepting all responsibilities for him.”

“What kind of responsibilities?”

“Just basic care. He doesn’t eat or use the bathroom, so there’s a lot you wouldn’t have to deal with. It’s more in his purpose that you’d need to care for him. Talk to him, spend time with him, give him a pat on the head when he does something good. That’s my favorite part of Chibi-chan, I gave him great hair that’s perfect for rustling.”

“I really like his hair,” Kenma agreed softly.

“Yeah, we’re going to miss him around here, but it’s good he’ll finally be doing what he was created to do.”

Tsukishima let out a long breath, his eyes already hurting from the blur of words on the screen. Not even the giant coffee he had before walking in the building could help him through this mess, and he was already concocting a venomous speech to give his brother when they spoke on their weekly phone call. He finally made it to the end of the document and signed, feeling like he was about to make a deal with the devil without getting anything out of it except losing his soul.

“Excellent! Ah, perfect timing,” Kuroo said as the door opened from the hallway. Tsukishima stood and turned but nearly fell over as something pummeled into him. He yelped and looked down, but all he could see was a mess of wavy orange curls pressed against his chest and a slender body underneath that was plastered to him like a leech. He looked up for help but was met with three amused grins, even Daichi chuckling as he watched Tsukishima be suffocated with love, which happened to be one of Tsukishima’s greatest fears.

He felt the grip around his waist ease, and he looked back down to see a face lifting from beneath the blindingly bright hair. His eyes were large and expressive, a light brown that seemed to shine with honesty and enthusiasm. The only other thing Tsukishima could see was the massive smile spread across the android’s face, like a puppy that just found its home with a loving family.

“Hi! I’m SG-621, but you can call me Chibi-chan!”

Kuroo let out another embarrassing loud bout of laughter, and Daichi sighed.

“No, SG, it’s _Shoyou_. Shoyou is your human name.”

“But Kuroo-san said--”

“Shoyou,” Kenma interrupted in his quiet, even tone, “I told you not to listen to Kuro. Your name is Shoyou like Daichi-san said.”

“Oh, sorry,” Shoyou said as he jerked his head back up to Tsukishima, his smile not faltering a bit. “Hi! I’m Shoyou! We’re going to be best friends!”

Tsukishima felt like he was going to throw up.

 


	2. Chapter 2

With a little help from Daichi, Tsukishima finally got Shoyou’s arms pried off from his waist. The little android didn’t seem bothered, opting instead to hold onto his hand. Tsukishima scrunched up his nose and flung his hand around to dislodge it, but Shoyou misinterpreted the movement and began to swing their hands between them with a toothy grin.

“Let go.”

Shoyou cocked his head, looking like a brainless puppy. “Why?”’

“Because I don’t like it.”

“Perhaps it’s because you don’t do it often? Sometimes change is scary, but that’s why it’s so important for me to love you!”

Tsukishima looked over at Kenma and Daichi for help, purposely ignoring the messy-haired tech as his cackles echoed in the small room.

“Why is he being stubborn about this? Isn’t he supposed to obey me?”

Kenma shook his head, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

“Simple-minded androids that are meant for work-related tasks are supposed to obey, but he’s a companion. They’re meant to imitate human behavior with few exceptions.”

“This isn’t simple-minded?” Tsukishima deadpanned as he jerked his head down at Shoyou, who responded with a comical scowl that looked anything but intimidating.

“I’m not simple, Kei!” He spat and stuck out his tongue.

“Don’t call me that.”

“Isn’t that your name?”

“It’s my given name, I don’t want you calling me that.”

“Oh, ok Tsukki.”

“It’s Tsukishima.”

“ _Stingy_ shima,” Shoyou spat back and stuck out his tongue.

“That’s it. Here, you guys can have this back. Just put him in storage til Nii-san comes back,” Tsukishima said, shoving Shoyou forward towards the trio.

“Sorry, no can do, Tsukki!” Kuroo said, still chuckling and lowering his phone as his fingers tapped against it.

“Were you recording?”

“Yup, wanted to send a little gift to Akiteru-san, thanking him for the free entertainment.”

“Delete that, and why can’t you put him away?”

“Because you already signed for him. He’s your responsibility now.” His phone made a swish noise, signaling the video was already sent.

“So, then I can just throw him away?” Tsukishima heart twinged just slightly when Shoyou looked like he was about to cry.

“Would you really do that when your brother spent so much money on him? Come on, you’re a big boy. Just take care of him for a while. And if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call us,” Kuroo said, holding out his business card to Tsukishima in one hand and ruffling Shoyou’s head with the other. Tsukishima took it and glanced over it, pausing when he noticed two sets of numbers printed on the card.

“Your android has a cell phone?”

“Daichi does, yeah. He’s a great resource on anything you want to know about them.”

“Aren’t you two the professionals? The ones who _create_ the androids?”

Kuroo shrugged. “Yeah, we make ‘em but his data storage is huge. We loaded a lot of information to assist new owners, so we didn’t have to.”

“You pawned your responsibilities off on your android. Wow, I actually feel sorry for him.”

Daichi chuckled as he stepped forward, holding a canvas bag in his hands.

“I appreciate the sentiment, Tsukishima. I do hate to cut this short, but we do have an upcoming appointment we need to prepare for. Here’s a gift bag with some necessary items: owner’s manual, supplies for basic maintenance, but most of that he can take care of himself. Shoyou’s pretty self-sufficient.”

“Thanks, Daichi-san!”

Tsukishima took the bag and tried to sputter out a protest, but he was suddenly shoved forward through the door to the hallway by Kuroo. The door barely retracted before he was forced through it, nearly colliding with a pair walking down the hallway.

“What the f-- Oh, Shoyou!” The man in a lab coat said, his anger dissipating as soon as he spotted the short android.

“Iwaizumi-san! Oikawa-san! I’m finally going home!”

The taller of the pair swept in and threw his arms around Shoyou. Tsukishima’s head was beginning to pound from the flurry of activity and lack of sleep. He glanced desperately down the hallway toward the elevators, wondering if maybe he could slip away while Shoyou was distracted by the flashy looking android making over him.

“Shou-chan! I’m so happy for you! I wish Iwa-chan would take me home once in a while, I hate being stuck in this place,” Oikawa pouted, earning an eye roll from his companion.

“Please, I need a break. It’s not like you couldn’t sleep anywhere.”

“Rude! I deserve to be treated with better care, I’m made of state-of-the-art materials. Just because you’re jealous Mattsun made me this beautiful when you look like that, it’s no reason to lock me in your office every night.”

“Kuroo, please for the love of God can we switch?”

Kuroo scrunched up his nose and wrapped a protective arm around Daichi’s shoulders. “No way, you can keep Narcissus for yourself.”

Oikawa’s face lit up. “Thank you, Tetsu-chan!” The android ignored the groans from the surrounding techs to turn his attention to Tsukishima. He seemed to be the opposite of the straightforward Daichi, his brown eyes gleaning information about him as they traveled over Tsukishima’s frame with an amused smirk playing on his lips.

“Hey, Megane-kun. Take care of Shou-chan, will you? Unlike most of the people in this facility, he’s got a pure soul.”

Tsukishima’s exhaustion and irritability were beginning to take its toll, and the last thing he needed was a fake human telling him what to do. He cocked an eyebrow up above his glasses, looking slightly down at Oikawa’s face.

“Really? I didn’t realize Android Enterprises actually inserted _souls_ into their robots. I think I missed that public announcement.”

The smirk on Oikawa’s face disappeared, his expression hardening in a way that made Tsukishima take a step back. Nothing he said was wrong, they _were_ just androids, not real people. He shivered, feeling the temperature of the hallway had dropped considerably, and it didn’t seem to be coming just from Oikawa’s direction. There was a tug on his arm, and he glanced down to see Kenma pulling at his sleeve.

“You should probably go, Kei. You’ll want to get Shoyou settled.”

“Fine. Um, thanks?” He asked, not knowing what to say. _Thanks for forcing this android on me that I don’t want?_

Kenma simply nodded and gestured toward the elevators at the end of the hall. As Tsukishima walked away with the little android gripping onto the hem of his shirt, he heard Iwaizumi’s hushed voice behind him.

“Is Shoyou going to be okay with him?”

“I hope so. Akiteru-san trusts him at least to take care of him,” Kuroo answered him, his voice as unconvinced as Iwaizumi.

 

As soon as Tsukishima stepped out onto the street, he drew in a deep breath of fresh air. The entire trip through the building Shoyou seemed oddly subdued. When they emerged into the daylight, however, he gasped as he spun his head back and forth at everything around him.

“Wow! It’s so pretty!”

“What is?”

“Everything!”

Tsukishima observed him for a moment since he wasn’t the focus of his attention for once. Shoyou was small and wiry yet seemed athletic with the way that he bounced about. His brown eyes were wide and sparkling as he looked at the surrounding buildings and crowds of people milling by. He greeted several people politely, and to Tsukishima’s astonishment they laughed and greeted him back. He narrowed his eyes at the excitable android as he began to wander in a circular perimeter around Tsukishima. The longer Tsukishima observed Shoyou, it was as if he had an aura of positivity that instantly infected everyone around him like a disease, though it seemed to have the opposite effect on Tsukishima himself.

“Come on, I’m tired and I want to go home,” He mumbled as he pivoted on his foot and set a grueling pace down the sidewalk, half hoping he’d lose Shoyou in the crowds. Behind him came a thunderous rumble of footsteps and suddenly his arm was completely hijacked by Shoyou’s hands.

“How far is home? What are we going to do when we get there? Are we going to take the train? Or a boat, or maybe an airplane?”

“Where the hell do you think I live? We’ll be taking the train.”

“Whaaaaaaaa!!! I can’t wait!”

“Quiet!” Tsukishima hissed, slapping his hand over Shoyou’s mouth and whispering apologies to a few people giving him dirty looks. “Do you have a volume control? Or even better, an off switch?”

Shoyou shrugged his shoulders since his mouth was still covered. Tsukishima cautiously lifted the hand to let him speak.

“I’m not sure, you’d have to consult the manual.”’

“Can’t you just speak quieter?”

“I mean, I can try, but I’ll probably forget.”

“Your brain is a computer; how can you just forget something?”

“According to Kenma they put in barriers in my memory storage and a couple minor glitches on purpose. He said it would make me more realistic!”

“What are those idiots trying to pull? Why would Nii-san want a droid like you?”

“Hmm? Who’s Nii-san?”

“My brother, Tsukishima Akiteru. He’s your actual owner, not me.”

Shoyou screwed up his face in confusion, and Tsukishima desperately wanted to make fun of him. Could he make fun of an android? Technically he should be making fun of Kuroo and Kenma for creating such an idiot. Regardless he was thankful they seemed to have installed an outdated computing system in his brain so he’d think slower, causing a blessed lull in the chatter.

When they arrived at the train station, he hovered his hand over the panel and the doors opened for him since his information was already in the system. He was already through when he forgot about the android being with him and wasn’t even sure what the protocol was for bringing one on the train. He jerked his head around but saw no blatant information to tell him what to do next.

Suddenly the door panels opened again and Shoyou walked through without any trouble, though his eyes seemed momentarily holographic until they flickered back to their usual brown.

“What did you do?”

“I had a chat with the computer and it told me what to do. It was very nice!”

“Oh, ok.”

“A lot nicer than you,” Shoyou muttered under his breath.

“What was that?”

“Nothing! Wow is that the train?! Look at it, Tsukki!”

“Yes, I’ve seen a train before.”

“It’s shiny. Come on, I don’t want to miss it!”

If they missed it, there would be another one in its place in less than a minute, but Shoyou didn’t give him a chance to inform him as he snatched his hand again and yanked him across the platform.

“There are so many seats, where should we sit?”

“Just come here and stop pulling me along. It’s annoying.”

“Are you always going to be this grumpy?”

“As long as you’re in my presence, I will always be grumpy.”

“I doubt that, everyone likes me eventually.”

“How do you know? There’s no way everyone likes you.”

Shoyou looked up at him from the seat next to him, his head cocked as he seemed to be thinking about it. Tsukishima smirked, slightly enjoying the fact that the little android didn’t seem too intelligent. He began thinking up some very difficult questions for him that may keep him quiet for an hour or two at a time. His thoughts were interrupted, however, when Shoyou leaned toward him and reached his hands up to nestle against his cheeks.

“What are you doing?”

Shoyou didn’t answer for a moment, and he saw his pupils shrink and then expand a couple times before shaking his head.

“You’re malnourished, and sleep deprived, aren’t you?”

“I’m-- what?”

“There are bags under your eyes, your skin seems pallid and I’ve heard your stomach growl several times. I’ll make you something to eat when we get home and then you should get some sleep.”

“What the hell? You’re not my mom.”

“No, I’m your companion. You may not care about me, but I was created to care about you, so you don’t have a choice.”

“How do I not have a choice?”

“Well, you _did_ have a choice, and you chose me when you signed the contract.”

“I don’t remember reading that!”

“Hmm, Kuroo-san may have kept that in the fine print just to hurry things along. He likes to do things like that I heard.”

“Ugh, I’m gonna kill him.”

“As your companion, I’m going to have to keep you from doing that. I can’t allow you to be arrested. Plus, I like Kuroo-san, even if he was a little scary at first.”

“Is there anyone you don’t like?”

Shoyou scrunched up his face as he thought. Apparently, that was the hardest question yet.

“Not really? I get frustrated if people are being difficult, but eventually we work it out. I gain more information about them and try to improve so I can be a better help. Just be patient with me, and then it’ll be like we were made for each other!”

“You make it sound like I’m an android as well. Get it through your thick skull, I am the human and you are the robot.”

“Stop calling me that. Robots are primitive.”

“I haven’t seen one aspect of you to prove otherwise. Come on, this is our stop.”

Shoyou pouted but still reached for Tsukishima’s hand as they followed the crowd’s out the door. His neighborhood was a little quieter, and Shoyou seemed to reflect his surroundings since he chose not to speak anymore. Tsukishima wanted to ignore him completely, but even when he wasn’t speaking there was something about Shoyou’s presence that drew his attention. Maybe it was the hair, or the wide-eyed fascination with everything around him.

“This is my apartment,” Tsukishima muttered, turning toward the walkway to the front door. Shoyou gasped and his head leaned far back to get the full view of the building.

“It’s huge!”

“Have you ever been outside Android Enterprises?”

“Nope.”

“Then you really have no basis of knowing, do you?”

“I have basic information loaded into my system about the outside world. I also have an internal navigation system, so if I get separated from you I can find my way back here. Isn’t that cool?”

“What about your glitches and forgetfulness? Wouldn’t that kick in?”

“Um, I don’t think it affects my nav since it’s a safety and security issue.”

“Hm.”

Neither said anything else on the way up, but Tsukishima felt his irritation rising as Shoyou began to vibrate with anticipation. When he reached the door, the android began hopping up and down and Tsukishima placed a firm hand on his shoulder to keep his feet on the ground.

“Okay, before we go in we need to go over a few rules. No jumping or running. You’re not constantly this energetic, are you?”

“Um, mostly. It goes with my personality.”

“Ugh. Just try to tone it down, okay? It’s been a while since I’ve lived with anyone and I prefer peace and quiet at home.”

“You’re so boring.”

“No, you’re just badly programmed.”

“Kenma’s a great programmer!”’

“Whatever, do you understand the rules?”

“Yeah, I’ll behave,” Shoyou replied with his nose scrunched. Tsukishima sighed and input his code, the door sliding up a moment later. Despite the unwanted android on his heels, walking into his apartment felt like entering an oasis after a long trek through the desert. He ignored Shoyou for a moment as he adjusted the lighting and temperature before heading into the kitchen for a glass of water.

Shoyou paused in the entryway, watching Tsukishima in his environment and cataloging everything about the apartment from his position. It was clean, but it seemed like there were things missing. Pockets of the living room where a piece of furniture should be or a collection of pictures where several were removed. Shoyou didn’t know what it meant, but he felt like it was perhaps too early to ask Tsukishima any personal questions. He finally moved through the apartment to the kitchen just as Tsukishima was finishing his glass of water.

“Can I look through some things?”

“Why?”

“I want to know what you have so I know what to cook.”

“You don’t need to cook.”

“But I was made to cook!”

“Deal with it, I don’t need it.”

“You do need it; your nutrition is important.”

“I eat meal bars, that’s all the nutrition I need.”

“It’s not everything. Besides, they don’t taste as good as real food.”

“It doesn’t matter to me.”

Shoyou emitted a sound reminiscent of a growl and crossed his arms in front of his chest. They stared at each other stubbornly for a minute, both refusing to give in. Finally, the scowl on Shoyou’s face smoothed away, and his lips curled in a grin.

“I can bake too, you know.”

“Why would I care about that?”

“Strawberry shortcake is my specialty.”

“...What?”

Shoyou’s grin spread wider.

“But if you’re not interested in my cooking and baking skills, I guess you’ll never get to try mine. Shame. Kenma almost didn’t give me up when I made him an apple pie the other day, but I promised him I’d try and stop by and visit with one sometime.”

Tsukishima clenched his teeth, seething that Shoyou had figured out his weakness. _This is all Nii-san’s doing._

“Fine, I will eat one meal a day cooked by you, and you’ll make some strawberry shortcake. Deal?

Shoyou’s face beamed up at him, causing Tsukishima to wince as if caught in a strong beam of sunlight.

“Deal!

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man this took me forever to update. As always comments help fuel faster updates and inspiration, I love hearing what you think :)

**Author's Note:**

> I came up with this idea last night, totally unprovoked but I thought it was cool. I have the whole plot kind of in my head, and at the moment I'm not planning on it being a massive fic, maybe just a few chapters... hopefully no more than 7 but I'd like to keep it less than that. Let me know what you think, I love comments! Positivity definitely fuels quicker updates :)


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